Zero work to do on contract (confused!)

[Lance]

Not necessarily. Plenty companies, especially big ones where money is not an issue, can keep a contractor just because the budget for the contract has already been approved. It's money they have already put down as a cost and just terminating a contract early isn't always worth the hassle.

What I would NOT do if I were you is just leave without having another gig lined up, especially since you don't seem to have a chunky warchest. Either find a gig and then leave, or leave without a gig only when you can afford some bench time.

I wouldn’t even do that. Find a new gig, start it and carry on invoicing this one. If they’ve been paying you to do nothing then let that carry on as it’s good business.

[PCTNN]

If I was you I would get out immediately. Your words "soul destroying" and "losing your mojo" are not good.

Also being on the bench looking at your warchest getting thinner and thinner is soul destroying, especially if you left a gig with nothing else lined up.

I mean, both situations are bad, so you just have to pick your poison

[PCTNN]

rest of the time we spent in the boozer

The Waterloo?

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

Absolutely normal, I'd say half of my contracts have been like that.

Utterly soul destroying, for sure.

I'd like to say just leave but tbh it's always the well paid gigs...

I've usually stuck around for the money at the cost of my health

Pursue personal projects is my advice. Make de-stressing part of your job.

Also give up hounding people for work, I found it never works, they either give you something meaningless to do which further undermines your sense of worth, or they get angry. I just gently prod them every now and then.

[CryingSheep]

Absolutely normal, I'd say half of my contracts have been like that.

Utterly soul destroying, for sure.

I'd like to say just leave but tbh it's always the well paid gigs...

I've usually stuck around for the money at the cost of my health

Pursue personal projects is my advice. Make de-stressing part of your job.

Also give up hounding people for work, I found it never works, they either give you something meaningless to do which further undermines your sense of worth, or they get angry. I just gently prod them every now and then.

This!!!

If you feel worthless not having nothing to do and being well paid... Imagine not having nothing to do and not being paid!

Find another gig first...

[KinooOrKinog]

This!!!

If you feel worthless not having nothing to do and being well paid... Imagine not having nothing to do and not being paid!

Find another gig first...

That took me a few minutes! Double negatives make my head hurt...

[WordIsBond]

If it helps I can tell you why it is probably happening.

Sometime in the last couple years they needed a contractor, and they had an almighty fight to get the funding. Now they've got it, they don't want to lose it, for the next project for which they need a contractor. If they give up the funding, next year when they want a contractor, they have to fight again. If they keep you on and keep paying you, they don't have to fight, it will just roll on, forever and ever, until they actually need a contractor, or somebody scrutinises the budget.

So it is nothing to do with you, your skills, or anything else. It's the way budgets work in a lot of companies -- simply inertia. The manager knows how to play the game. And right now, he wishes you would just play along, too. Since there is no apparent project, if you leave, he might have a hard time getting someone else to keep the game going because it risks drawing attention and scrutiny.

So basically, he'd likely prefer you just be quiet and keep billing. In a prior life I was on the other side of this. If the contractor had said, 'Do you mind if I work from home three days a week? I'd come in, of course, if you needed me here,' I'd have said, 'Do four days if you want.'

If you can get three days from home, you really should carry on. Use the three days at home profitably -- maybe you can pick up some freelance work or even a part time contract. If they want to pay you, let them pay you. You are probably doing them a favour, and it really isn't hurting you.

It's rather daft to let something like this affect your self-worth. It really has nothing at all to do with you. If you can find a way to use the time profitably, be grateful, and keep billing. If you want to look for another contract at the same time, by all means do so. But it would probably be a mistake to jump unless you are pushed, if you don't have something else. No one knows what the economy is going to do in the next few months.

[Old Greg]

Find some local charities that need development work done for free and who in return will give you a testimonial and create a portfolio for your LinkedIn profile and website.

Or get into a meaty sci-fi novel series.

Keep on invoicing. Send client a weekly email to agree deliverables for next week. Let them ignore it if they wish.

[BR14]

Or get into a meaty sci-fi novel series.

Keep on invoicing. Send client a weekly email to agree deliverables for next week. Let them ignore it if they wish.

good idea, if you haven't read them all, at least twice

[Old Greg]

good idea, if you haven't read them all, at least twice

Surely you haven't read the Dune series monstrosity twice?